Fighting knives used by British commandos and SOE during WW2
 

Mini F-S knives or Short Commando knives
and so called Agent's knives

                                                               

Text and pictures by
Olof Janson unless otherwise stated.

 Special honour should be given to:

  • Robert Wilkinson-Lath    am,
  • Ron Flook,
  • Roy Shadbolt.

Who have given me much assistance.  

On the picture to the left:

  • 1st Pattern Wilkinson Sword F-S
  • 2nd Pattern Wilkinson Sword F-S
  • 2nd Pattern Wilkinson Sword F-S

 

updated 2013-02-15

 

INDEX
Forming of Commandos
The Shanghai fighting knives
1st Pattern F-S Fighting knife
2nd Pattern F-S Fighting knife
2nd Pattern F-S Fighting Private Purchase knife
2nd Pattern F-S Fighting w/o Wilkinson trademark.like B2, Fat Man, Reverse Knurling
3rd Pattern F-S Fighting knife
Beaded & Ringed - Roped & Ringed

Steel hilt and Different hilts
Wood handles.

US Marine Raider Stiletto OSS - Stiletto w.'Pancake Flapper' and
Odd knives

Three Indian F-S Commando Knives
Sheaths
Marks
UK Commando knives; Postwar production

 

Wilkinson Sword Company

 

The miniature Wilkinson First Pattern F-S

The miniature Wilkinson First Pattern F-S was made around 1946 and was a part of the Wilkinson Razor Campaign Post WW 2 paper knives. It is only 196 cm over all with a blade length of 112 cm.

 
Criteria of the Promotion as regards the Minaiture FS Letter Openers.
48 razor sets   - 1 Minature Knife
100 razor sets - 1 Miniature knife
250 razor sets - 1 Deluxe Miniature Knife

Pamphlet for the campaign

 

Scabbards vary.

When the Directors secretaries had these knives at the Acton Factory in the 1960's.

They had the 3rd pattern scabbard in miniature of course.

 

The secretary of Robert Wilkinson-Latham’s father had an Ivorine handled one as did some others, but the majority were normal grips.

 

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Agent's Knives

There are also some smaller commando knives which are called Agent commando knives. Very little is known about them.

Robert Wilkinson Latham has told me:

Wilkinsons did NOT make these knives and NEVER marked knives with WSC.

The only stamp Wilkinsons had was:

WSC
S294

This All in One stamp was ONLY used on 1907 bayonet and No 5 bayonet blades.

There are also reports of shortened WS F-S knives. We must remember that there was a war going on and nothing which still could be used was thrown away. For this reason some broken knives were regrounded and resharpened to that extent that today they might be mistaken for what collectors call agents knives.

 

 

Here are two of these knives.

The top of agents knife with a hilt of brass is marked WS .

The second knife with black hilt was made by A & P (Alcock & Pierce) of Melbourne Australia, it is marked ‘MARS’ so is attributed to the ‘Mars Task Force’ OSS Burma.

(Photo from  Roy Shadbolt)

 Most collectors consider that these knives are post war fakes.

BE AWARE!

 

A & P stands for

Alcock & Pierce,
Melbourne, Australia

Might be a FAKE?

BE AWARE!

 

MARS’ is attributed to the ‘Mars Task Force’ OSS Burma.   

Maybe FAKE? BE AWARE!

 

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Back to
Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife - First Pattern.

 
Forming of Commandos
The Shanghai fighting knives
 

There are three basic modells of the F-S fighting knife.
1st Pattern F-S Fighting knife
2nd Pattern F-S Fighting knife
2nd Pattern F-S Fighting Private Purchase knife
2nd Pattern F-S Fighting w/o Wilkinson trademark.
like B2, Fat Man, Reverse Knurling
3rd Pattern F-S Fighting knife
Beaded & Ringed - Roped & Ringed

Steel hilt and Different hilts
Wood handles.

OSS - Stiletto w.'Pancake Flapper' and
US Marine Raider Stiletto

Three Indian F-S Commando Knives

Odd knives
Sheaths
Marks
Sheaths
UK Commando knives; Postwar production

 

The Stalingrad Sword made by Wilkinson Sword.

 

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References:
Robert Wilkinson Latham His own web site
Alan W. Locken Commando 1940 - 1945
Robert A. Burlein Allied Military Fightingknives
Ron Flook British and Commonwealth military knives.
Fredrick J. Stephens Fighting Knives
Frank Trzaska The O.S.S. Stiletto - Knife World February 1998.
Frank Trzaska The Raider Stiletto - Knife World July 1997
Kelly Yeaton The First Commando Knives.
John Nowhill & son Sheffield
Michigan knives  
Dr. William Windrum  The earliest commando knivesAllan W. Locken – Commando 1940 - 1945.